Mumbai man who fell 30 feet tying handi rope still critical

Uproarious celebrations that follow Janmashtami left a 30-year-old construction worker critically injured after he fell and hit an iron rod on Thursday, even before he could participate in the dahi handi festivities. Mankhurd resident Sanjay Sapkal is left battling for his life in the ICU of KEM Hospital.u00a0

Breaking bad: An unidentified boy being carried by his friends after injuring himself during Dahi Handi celebrations on Thursday. Pic/Suresh KK

Sapkal started his day early on Thursday. At 7.30 am, while his mandal was gearing up for the D-day, he was helping out with arrangements to suspend the pot from the rope for Mankhurd's Vignahartha Seva Mitra Mandal.

His friend Rajesh Jadhav said, "He offered to tie the other end of the rope to hang the dahi handi in our mandal and climbed up almost 30 feet. He lost his balance and fell down."

The fall wasn't a simple one. Sapkal had fallen from a height equal to a little less than three storeys, and landed on an iron rod jutting from the ground, which pierced his waist.

He was rushed to Govandi's Shatabdi Hospital, where he was asked to shift to civic-run Sion hospital since his condition was serious. He was eventually admitted to KEM Hospital in Parel.

Sapkal's family was informed about the incident, and his relatives arrived at KEM.

Speaking to MiD DAY, his kin Amit Babar said, "His wife has lapsed into a state of shock. We had to take her back home as she was unable to even look at Sapkal. We can only hope he recovers from his injuries. He has a three-year-old daughter among those who rely on him."

Sapkal was shifted to the ICU from the casualty ward on Thursday night, and is under observation.

Requesting anonymity, another relative of Sapkal's said, "Doctors informed us they won't even be able to operate on him until his condition stabilises. As of now he is critical and when the doctors tried to conduct an MRI scan, they were unable to complete the procedure as his condition is far too fragile."

The kin of the victim refused to disclose further details. A doctor from the hospital said Sapkal had sustained severe head injuries, and his forearm and right thigh were badly broken. "The patient's general condition is poor and he is still unconscious," said the doctor.u00a0